Lemon Candied Yams
6
servings
Main
Course
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients
2 ½ lb
yams (about 4 large), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
8 tbsp
(1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
½ c
firmly packed light brown sugar
½ tsp
ground cinnamon
½ tsp
ground nutmeg
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper
Lemon gives this dish an unexpected freshness, like a slice of lemon in an iced tea.
Chef’s tip: Don’t be afraid of the high oven heat used in this dish—you need high temps to give the yams that glorious steaklike sear.
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, toss the yams with the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest, and a pinch each of salt and pepper until evenly coated. Spread the yams in a single layer on a half-sheet pan. Roast until lightly caramelized, about 35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and immediately squeeze the juice from the lemon all over the yams. Serve hot.
Excerpted MEALS, MUSIC, AND MUSES: Recipes From My African American Kitchen by Alexander Smalls with Veronica Chambers. Copyright © 2020 by Alexander Smalls. Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books. All rights reserved. Photography by Beatriz da Costa.